La Maison Oflore: a Review

I'm gonna be straight up here, I'm in love with this spot! Something about it brought me back to the boutique hotel I stayed at in Paris. And how could you go wrong with that? Plus, the shop is also really photogenic?! As in, I took 10 billion pictures of the spot because any angle I pointed my camera in the shot looked good. My fellow Instagram hoes, y'all know where to go.

Situated on Duluth Ave. close to LaFontaine park, this quaint coffee joint also offers 5 à 7 evenings featuring small bands and cocktail creations using their signature home-made limonades. Unfortunately I did not get to taste their cocktails (I did go for breakfast, and although ya girl likes her booze it's a tad too early for her), but I am planning on going back. I did get to taste all of their fermented limonades and eat one of their "pain perdu". Enjoy!

THE FERMENTED LIMONADES

The fermented limonades are Maison Oflore's specialty. These are made by adding a plant that ferments in the limonade. As these drinks are fermented, I expected lots of fizz and bubbles, but surprisingly there were very little. I was rather happy about that since I'm not a fan of soft drinks (seriously, even if I'm feeling junky I don't have any). For this, I believe that anyone can enjoy this simple twist on limonade.

The Classic

This limonade is the only one that is not fermented, but how could you go wrong with a classic? I've personally never been into limonade, mostly because I often find it too sour or too sweet, but I honestly enjoyed theirs: the balance of sweet & sour was just perfect. If you're hesitating with which of their limonades to pick, just go with this one. You won't be disappointed.

Verveine

I had never tasted verveine before ("verbena" in English), which is a herbal plant that contains medicinal properties and that can be made into tea. Interestingly, when I tasted this limonade, the first thing that came to mind was that it tasted like limonade with green tea in it, minus the bitterness. I wasn't head over heals for it, but I liked it. If you feel like having a healthy and refreshing drink, go with the verveine!

Rose

This limonade actually tasted like it had roses in it! And I don't mean like rose extract, I mean like if it had rose petals in it. Basically, it tasted like how a rose smells (if that makes any sense). This is what I thought of when taking a sip and it turned out to be true: when I took a look at the glass containers the limonade ferments in, I saw that it literally had rose petals in it! Call me Shef. The taste of rose translated itself very well into the limonade.

Hibiscus

Although this limonade was of an intense red colour (honestly so aesthetic, made me look like I was drinking the blood of my enemies) it had a very, very subtle taste. I did not really taste any hibiscus. However, I must admit that I had never drank hibiscus tea before, so I didn't really know what taste to be looking for in the limonade. (But should I really be looking for it?) Anyhow, I was not a fan of this limonade, but it is super aesthetic... If you're looking for a drink to pimp up your IG account, pick the hibiscus limonade!

Lavender

Hum... WOW. This limonade was very fragrant. This was the only one that had a scent (yeah, I took a whiff before taking a sip), so I knew it was gonna be tasty. Indeed, the taste of lavender was well present: you didn't need to pay much attention to taste it. Actually, the taste of lavender could've easily been too strong, but they fermented it just right so that it was fragrant without being too much. If you're a fan of lavender, or if your anxiety is through the roof and you're freaking tired of doing yoga, pick this limonade to drink and smell the hell out of it.

Sureau

I really enjoyed the sureau limonade as well. It was sweeter than the other limonades, but its sweetness reminded that of a lichee fruit. No wonder why I liked it so much! I'll be ordering this one again for sure.

Mint

The last fermented limonade I got to taste was the mint limonade. As could be expected from both limonade and mint, it was quite refreshing. Interestingly though, it tasted different than fresh mint leaves, and more like dried mint leaves used for tea, giving the limonade a deeper taste. I'm not saying that it wasn't good because I did like it, I'm just pointing out the difference in taste.

TO EAT

Croissant Perdu

A twist to the classic "pain perdu", using a croissant with icing sugar, fresh blueberries & maple syrup

Really how could you go wrong with this pastry? It's two delicious pastries combined together! The croissant made it crispy, yet it was soft at the same time. There wasn't too much icing sugar on top (thank god, I hate it when pastries are covered in it, it ruins the whole taste and makes things unnecessarily too sweet) and the maple syrup came on the side, so you could put as much as you wanted. The fresh blueberries were also a nice addition: it felt good to eat fresh fruits instead of previously frozen ones.

THE AMBIANCE

I looooove the feel of this coffee shop! It's just so breezy and laidback, even with the music on it isn't bothersome. It's set up like an apartment, with a kitchen/ordering counter followed by a cozy living area and a terrasse in the back that features a wall that's almost fully covered in lush green vines. Plus, when I visited there was a guy in the backyard who had a golden doodle (if you don't know what dog breed that is, you need to google it right the hell now cause it's freaking adorable), which doesn't hurt to have around.

It's a great spot to come alone to do some work, draw or write, to come for a coffee date or to hang between friends! Really, this place is cozy and perfect for all moments in my opinion.

ALL IN ALL

I really loved the ambiance, the people and the products (and I'm generally not a fan of limonade, but I truly enjoyed these ones). I highly recommend this place and I will definitely be coming back! In my opinion, you won't be disappointed and it's a cute shop for a date too.

Special thanks to the wonderful owners of the shop who had me over and let me taste their products!

What are ya waiting for? Ask out that cutie you've got a crush on!!!

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(Never hurts to try, just don't be a creep lol)